Two Thumbs Up for Atlas Shrugged
[Above: Reason.tv goes on the set of Atlas Shrugged Part 1]
Over at Hot Air, Ed Morrissey gives a rave review to the film of Atlas Shrugged Part 1, writing:
I have to admit that I didn't hold out high expectations for the film. The book was a smashing exercise in philosophical, economic, and political study — absolutely brilliant. As entertainment, however, the novel has its problems, and even the most determined reader can find getting through the book's massive size a daunting and patience-testing task. I read Atlas Shrugged twenty-five years ago, and while I appreciated its brilliance, I have had little desire to revisit it since.
So it's fair to say that I prepared myself for a difficult slog, but to my surprise, Atlas Shrugged Part I turned into an intriguing, stylish film that did not water down the Randian message in the least. In fact, the film format seems to free the characters in some sense from the limitations of Rand's prose and give more clarity and purpose to the story, while keeping its message firmly at the film's center….
The best word to describe Atlas Shrugged Part 1 is … surprising. It's surprisingly well-paced, surprisingly intelligent, surprisingly well-acted, and surprisingly entertaining. Perhaps most surprising of all, it has me thinking about re-reading the novel again. I would highly recommend it to friends and their families.
Columnist Ron Hart calls it a "must-see" movie, writing:
The trajectory of this country over the past six years has been troubling to those of us who understand the power of individual freedoms. Encroachments on individual and corporate liberties, such as making us buy health insurance while exempting favored unions, go almost unnoticed by the average person. That is why the debut of the movie "Atlas Shrugged" is so important….
We Libertarians have been against these wars and about the only thing Obama campaigned on that we liked was his promise to end them. He has done just the opposite. In fact he added a war by bombing Libya, on the eighth anniversary of the Iraq War. He should have paid attention; you don't get another war for a war on its birthday when it already has two. When our government shut down was looming, he spent billions to bomb Libya. Gadhafi's regime is still operating and ours was about shut down.
It seems our politician's convoluted logic goes: America uses 28 percent of the world's oil supply but only invades 10 percent of the mid-eastern oil producing countries. We need to invade more.
See the movie "Atlas Shrugged." If not, pay attention to Washington, D.C., as we seem to be living this great novel currently.
Read Reason's voluminous coverage of Rand and the movie here.
Here's a Reason.tv Ayn Rand video playlist, which starts with Atlas Shrugged's makers and Reason's Brian Doherty answering the question, "Who is John Galt?"